Biometric Data

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to legislate to abide by the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights of 4 December 2008 in S and Marper v United Kingdom so as to end the practice of holding DNA samples of individuals who are arrested but later acquitted or have the charges against them dropped; and, if so, whether they will ensure that the practice is ended and legislation enacted during the present Parliament.

Lord West of Spithead: We will bring forward proposals to change domestic law in response to the judgment as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Higher Education: Accreditation Bodies

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they will provide to approved accreditation bodies for international student education providers about the numbers of student visas they issue for those students due to attend different private colleges in the United Kingdom.

Lord West of Spithead: We are currently working with accreditation bodies on how we can ensure they are aware of our specific concerns on private colleges as part of our review with these organisations.

Michael Savage

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the United States radio host Mr Michael Savage has been banned from entering the United Kingdom; and, if so, why.

Lord West of Spithead: As was announced by the former Home Secretary in the press release of 5 May 2009, Michael Savage was excluded from the United Kingdom as he was considered to be engaging in unacceptable behaviour by seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence. This exclusion remains in place.